NEW DELHI: Lt-Commander Abhilash Tomy, the naval officer who embarked on a solo "non-stop" circumnavigation of the globe on a sail boat last November, is now back in the Indian Ocean after sailing around the Cape of Good Hope on Tuesday.
"It's an amazing story... the last time he had any human contact was when he was flagged off from Mumbai on November 1. He manages to sleep only a couple of hours at a stretch. While around 5,000 people have climbed Mt Everest, only around 80 have successfully done the solo non-stop circumnavigation of the globe," a Navy officer said.
Tomy, who earlier crossed Cape Leeuwin and Cape Horn in the arduous voyage during which he often faced winds of up to 45-50 knots, is expected to reach Mumbai towards March-end on his naval sailing ship Mhadei. By then, he would have covered a distance of over 22,000 nautical miles (around 40,000 km), crossing the equator twice in the process.
In his latest email sent to the Navy HQ, Tomy said, "It has been a fantastic voyage so far! The boat is in much better shape than what I had expected her to be. Initially, I was very conservative but after rounding Cape Horn, I have been pushing the boat and she is sailing much faster. It does not feel as if I have spent more than 100 days at sea alone."
After Commander Dilip Donde became the first Indian ever to undertake solo circumnavigation of the world in Mhadei in 2009-2010, Tomy - a maritime reconnaissance Dornier pilot by specialization - then came forward to do one better by undertaking a "solo, unassisted, non-stop" endeavour in the 'Sagar Parikrama-II' mission.
Abhilash Tomy hits Indian Ocean on his solo voyage around the world
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Abhilash Tomy hits Indian Ocean on his solo voyage around the world
